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Definition of in (or out of) step in English:

in (or out of) step

phrase

1Putting (or not putting) one's feet forward alternately in the same rhythm as the people one is walking, marching, or dancing with.

‘Even the guys who were in the class were in step and in rhythm!’

‘We headed back up the stairs, then once outside the Media Center, we somehow managed to all start walking side-by-side, in step - it was slightly disturbing.’

‘At one point, young Erin hurried forward to march in step with the Captain.’

‘Walking down the street beside him, you would notice from time to time his nimble little skip as he changed feet to keep in step.’

‘Nowadays, players are slouching, walking out of step, and passing around water bottles.’

‘Twenty-one young children from the local schools marched in step, each child carrying a rose.’

‘Among the delegates were German veterans and blind ones from France; some of the vets, protesting the political and military madness of the First World War, refused to march in step.’

‘Many now in their 80s, they marched in step, medals glinting in the sun at the end of a long, hot day.’

‘Protectively placing an arm around his mother's shoulders, Michael walks in step with her to the drawing room.’

‘I heard no distinct word as I passed but a few minutes later when they arose, clasped hands and walked away perfectly in step with one another, I breathed a sigh of relief for them.’

1.1Conforming (or not conforming) to what others are doing or thinking.

‘the party is clearly out of step with voters’

‘The ethnic make-up of Woolwich will certainly put that shop out of step with the local community.’

‘Are they going to boot him out of office if he doesn't march in step?’

‘The problem with that, of course, is that those opposition parties are out of step with 82 percent of New Zealanders.’

‘For too long Glasgow has been out of step with the rest of Scotland which complies far more readily with copyright law.’

‘If his vanity premiership gets too far out of step with what the party wants, he won't get the chance to serve a full term.’

‘England remained out of step with Europe, at least those countries that were Catholic, for more than 200 years and during that time grew to be the most powerful and commercially prosperous nation on earth.’

‘It has also given the impression that Britain is acting detrimentally to the general European interest and is the only country marching out of step.’

‘That's where art was heading, so he was a little out of step with the intellectual movement.’

‘The ordinary American continues to be splendidly out of step with the Chattering Classes.’

‘At present, they are all out of step with the vast majority of British people.’

in accord, in harmony, in agreement, in tune, in line, in keeping, in conformity, in accordance, in consensus, in consilience

at odds, at variance, in disagreement, out of tune, out of line, not in keeping, out of harmony, at loggerheads, in opposition, at outs